The use of umbrellas for protection against sun, rain, hail, snow and other forms of precipitation has its roots in antiquity. The umbrella arts are filled with myriad designs, including fold-up models and inflatables.
One of the major problems with umbrellas of all types is their lack of structural integrity in windy situations. It is a common experience for an umbrella to reverse its canopy, or turn inside out, during strong, turbulent or even moderate wind. Turning an umbrella inside out can result in severe and permanent structural damage, such damage often being the consequence of the twisting and bending of the radial ribs beyond their structural limits.
The present invention seeks to provide a new type of umbrella of the inflatable type, which provides structural integrity during moderate wind, and which does not sustain structural damage during severe or turbulent wind conditions.
The current invention also endeavors to provide new inflatable umbrellas that do not have rigid projections beyond the rim, which projections can easily poke someone in the eye, or be the cause of breakage. The umbrella designs of this invention have rigid ribs in the canopy for structural support that do not extend past the rim of the canopy, and thus are safer and longer-lasting to use. In addition, two of the invention designs contain no rigid joints whatsoever.